1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a punching apparatus for use in dispensing, the apparatus carrying out punching used for dispensing in a plug body of a sample container such as a test tube having a specimen such as a blood contained therein.
2. Description of the Related Art
A test tube for containing a sample such as blood is made of a transparent glass, and a plug body made of a rubber or a synthetic resin is mounted on an upper end opening of the test tube. In order to carry out sampling or dispensing of the specimen contained in the test tube, the test tube is held in a test tube holder in a vertical state for the purpose of transportation to each processing section, and the test tube holder is guided to a transport passage, thereby carrying out transportation.
For example, in specimen preprocessing transportation (clinical inspection), after centrifugal separation, the plug body of the test tube is opened by a plug opening mechanism. Then, the test tube is transported to a next process, and the blood specimen inside the test tube is sampled and dispensed by a dispensing mechanism.
However, there is a problem that a time loss occurs in opening all the plug bodies of a number of test tubes in the middle of transport, and impurities or the like are likely to enter the inside of the test tube during transport when the opened test tube is transported. Because of this, the plug body is punched by a punch needle of a punching apparatus for use in dispensing without opening the plug body of the test tube.
However, when the plug body is punched by means of the punch needle of the punching apparatus for use in dispensing without opening the plug body of the test tube, the plug body is punched by penetration by the punch needle. Thus, there is the inconvenience that chips of the plug body drop inside of the test tube, and the dropped chips are mixed in the internal blood specimen.
In addition, the chips of the plug body adhere to the punch needle of the punching apparatus for use in dispensing, thus making it necessary to wash the punch needle every time punching is carried out. Thus, there is a circumstance that equipment becomes complicated, and the punching process is low in efficiency.